Episode 324 (15th March 1988)
Plot Magda searches for Willmott-Brown, desperate to know if her offer on his house has been accepted. Pete misses Kenny now he is gone. Donna waits for a phone call from Simon. Pauline cannot stop worrying about the debt Arthur is in. Chris suffers a setback when Ali pulls out of his business proposal. He heads straight to The Vic and drinks. Darren searches for Barry and Ian, wanting his £400. Barry tells Colin he misses him. Colin realises he wants more money and angrily walks off. Donna heads to The Dagmar in search of Simon. Willmott-Brown tells her he has gone on holiday. Mary finds Chris drunk outside The Vic. Pat tells Magda about Simon's date with Donna. She acts uninterested. Pauline is thrilled to realise Arthur can work and still earn social security benefit, but her smile is quickly wiped when she also realises the more he earns, the more that can be taken off of him. Arthur returns to work at the shop and Darren wants lightbulbs. He asks Arthur to set up a credit account for him but Arthur refuses, so he tries to blackmail him. Arthur tells Darren he will not be blackmailed as he served time already for stealing - just as Ashraf walks in. Donna cries over Simon and is comforted by Kathy. Mary tries to help Chris sober up, but he is not interested. Lofty attends a youth meeting with Duncan and is grateful for the new outlook of life it has give him. Arthur worries Ashraf will not want him working at the shop anymore now he knows he has stolen. Den comforts Donna and goes to kiss her, but Kathy walks in on him. Kathy is unimpressed with Den. Arthur feels like giving up on his job but his determination to not have a mental health relapse overpowers his want to give up. Pauline heads to The Vic and sees Darren. She warns him to never blackmail her family again and slaps him. Chris drinks more alcohol and then falls off his stall at the bar. Mary phones Edie, telling her she is worried about Chris and thinks he is ill. Cast Regular cast *Mary - Linda Davidson *Chris - Allan O'Keefe *Mags - Kathryn Apanowicz *James Willmott-Brown - William Boyde *Lofty - Tom Watt *Duncan - David Gillespie *Sue - Sandy Ratcliff *Ali - Nejdet Salih *Dot Cotton - June Brown *Guizin - Ishia Bennison *Ian - Adam Woodyatt *Kathy - Gillian Taylforth *Pete - Peter Dean *Michelle - Susan Tully *Arthur - Bill Treacher *Darren - Gary McDonald *Lou - Anna Wing *Pauline - Wendy Richard *Ashraf - Aftab Sachak *Den - Leslie Grantham *Pat - Pam St. Clement *Donna - Matilda Ziegler *Colin - Michael Cashman *Barry - Gary Hailes Guest cast *Elizabeth - Lucy Bayler Locations *Albert Square *The Queen Victoria - Public and hallway *23B Albert Square - Backroom *45 Albert Square - Backroom *Bridge Street Market *First Til Last *Launderette *Café Osman *14B Walford Towers - Living room/kitchen Notes *''Radio Times'' synopsis: 'Mum, it's not me in trouble this time. It's me Dad.' *Viewing Figures: UK broadcast - 21,100,000 viewers (chart placing unknown). Category:1988 episodes